


Lovebug

by roowrites



Category: The Hollow (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kai doesn't know how to act, Lovebug AU, M/M, Post-Season 2, basically what happens when Adam gets stung by a bug that makes him fall in love with Kai, so much fluff omg, this is way too self indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roowrites/pseuds/roowrites
Summary: “Adam!” Kai calls out, moving to his side immediately. He grabs Adam’s hand to study how bad the sting is—maybe Adam’s been distant lately, but Kai’s worried regardless—and the taller boy suddenly goes still. His brown eyes snap to Kai’s blue ones, and that’s when Kai knows it. Something hasdefinitelygone wrong.Because Adam’s pupils dilate, and his expression softens, and his fingers intertwine with Kai’s.
Relationships: Adam/Kai (The Hollow)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 188





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i was listening to lovebug by the jonas brothers and suddenly this idea hit me and i HAD to write it, so. you're welcome.

This was a stupid idea. In fact, Kai thinks, this was the stupidest idea any one of them had ever had. Even stupider than _his_ stupidest ideas.

“Uh, guys?” He calls to the four other figures steadily moving in front of him, looking around apprehensively. The sun is setting quickly, and all he can see is trees. Somehow they look more threatening than trees should, their distorted shadows darkening the path ahead, and Kai shivers. “Maybe this is a bad idea, after all? Let’s just go back home to our nice, _safe_ beds and call it a day. This forest gives me the creeps.”

The four of them shoot him glares, a clear sign that no, they’re not stopping anytime soon. The redhead sighs and resolves to keep moving because, while being in a creepy forest at night is scary, being _alone_ in said creepy forest is much, much worse. In his haste, Kai trips over something, his arms wobbling as he attempts to right himself. Faltering for a moment, he pauses to squint at the ground, before someone grabs his wrist.

“Ahh!” Kai startles, still on edge, and Adam gives him an unimpressed look.

“It’s just me.” The taller boy says flatly, holding up Kai’s wrist. He jerks his head back towards the group. “Keep up. We can’t afford to get separated.”

“Right, sorry.” Kai mutters, tugging his wrist out of Adam's grasp as they walk. Because there’s something about Adam’s tone of voice, serious yet detached, that has Kai wondering for the millionth time if he’s done something to the other boy.

It’s been like that ever since the five of them—him, Adam, Mira, Vanessa, and Reeve—portaled back home. As relieved as Kai was to make it back safely, the glorious sight of Holy Donuts awaiting him as if he’d never been gone in the first place, something had shifted in the air between them. He noticed it for the first time when the five of them walked home that day, as Adam, Mira, and Reeve linked arms and he and Vanessa trailed behind. He noticed it in the way Adam hardly spoke to him in the following weeks. And he notices it now, too, a familiar ache growing inside his chest.

But, what’s Kai supposed to do? It’s not like he’s forgotten that Adam called him annoying when the two of them were back in that dark, musty castle looking for Mira. And now that Adam’s got Reeve back… well, maybe Kai should accept that he was just a stand-in. Still, he can’t help the hurt that courses through him every time Adam makes that painfully clear.

As pathetic as it is, Adam and Mira were his first _real_ friends. And now they’re… Kai glances to the front of the group, where the two of them and Reeve peer over a map. Adam laughs at something Reeve says. And Vanessa throws Kai a small smile, which he appreciates, but it doesn’t stop the way he can’t help but watch Adam grinning in his peripheral vision.

“Okay,” Mira says finally, snagging his attention. “Weirdy said Louie was spotted somewhere around here…” She trails off, pursing her lips.

“How did a giant snail get loose near the city anyway?” Kai wonders aloud. The only way to get into their realm was to go through a portal, and Louie couldn’t have gone through a portal, could he? Weirdy told the five of them that he’d closed off all of the portals to prevent any, as he put it, “supernatural interferences” with their lives.

“Does it matter?” Reeve responds, crossing his arms. “It’s probably just a dumb glitch. Let’s just focus on finding him so we can call Weirdy to send him back home.”

Everyone besides Kai nods resolutely, following the telekinetic boy’s lead, but—glancing around the winding trees—Kai can’t shake the feeling that something’s about to go wrong. He just doesn’t know _how_ wrong.

It ends up being the worst kind of wrong.

Because several things happen at once.

A loud, buzzing sound fills his ears and Kai turns to see a huge bug—no, a huge _wasp,_ flying directly towards him. He shouts in surprise, the others turning to watch as he barely ducks in time. As he stands back up, an “Ow!” comes from Adam’s direction and the boy hisses in pain, clutching his hand.

“Adam!” Kai calls out, moving to his side immediately. He grabs Adam’s hand to study how bad the sting is—maybe Adam’s been distant lately, but Kai’s worried regardless—and the taller boy suddenly goes still. His brown eyes snap to Kai’s blue ones, and that’s when Kai knows it. Something has _definitely_ gone wrong.

Because Adam’s pupils dilate, and his expression softens, and his fingers intertwine with Kai’s. 

“W-What…” Kai manages, eyes darting confusedly between their hands and Adam’s expression before he’s unexpectedly pulled forward into a tight embrace.

And, well, it feels… nice, he thinks at first, closing his eyes. Adam’s chest is comfortingly warm and solid, his arms—which have frequently been used to defend his friends—now wrapped around Kai protectively, and the redhead can feel himself subconsciously leaning in…

A beat passes. _Wait,_ Kai’s thoughts register. _Why is Adam hugging him?_

“Ah!” He splutters, turning bright red and scrambling to pull Adam’s arms off of himself. It isn’t until he’s jumped two feet away that he realizes his heartbeat has sped up too much for his own comfort, and looks at Adam incredulously. “What are you _doing?_ ”

And, _god,_ why does the other boy look so hurt? His eyes widen, brows furrowing as he looks down at his arms and back up at Kai, shoulders hunching guiltily. “I…”

But all Kai can do is stare at him. He glances at Vanessa, Reeve, and Mira in turn, but they only stare at him and Adam. When Kai meets Mira’s gaze, throwing her a look of confusion, she just shrugs. Kai sends her a pleading look, and she sighs.

“Adam,” Mira says cautiously, taking a few steps to get to Adam’s side. Reaching up, she tentatively rests a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Those brown eyes won’t look away from Kai’s, and a weird feeling rolls through the redhead’s stomach. “What is it? Why are you staring at me?” He asks finally, feeling a bit antsy. Adam’s lips tremble as he takes a breath.

“You’re beautiful.”

 _Oh._ Kai thinks he forgets how to breathe, because _that_ is not what he expected to hear. He’s so stunned that, for someone who likes to think of himself as observant, he doesn’t even notice how Mira’s hand suddenly drops from Adam’s shoulder and she shoots a knowing look to Reeve.

He doesn’t notice anything because Adam’s stepping closer again, gaze fixed intently not on Kai’s eyes this time—but his mouth.

“Kai,” Adam says, then. “Can I kiss you?”

Yep. The _worst_ kind of wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOH WHAT'S KAI GONNA DO.
> 
> i wasn't sure if i wanted to write this all and then publish it but i decided to just do chapters because i'm too impatient. this one's pretty short so i'll update asap!


	2. Chapter 2

“Can I kiss you?”

Oh, _no._ Kai’s completely frozen. He can feel his heartbeat going a mile a minute, because he’s never had to deal with this kind of situation before, and Adam’s tongue darts out to lick his lips for a second. Kai’s eyes track the movement, widening as the taller boy comes closer, slowly leaning in until Kai can practically feel his breath on his–

“Adam!” Mira steps in front of Kai, pushing the redhead behind her abruptly. “Let’s, um, give Kai some space, okay?”

Kai’s flushes, grateful for the intrusion. He can feel Adam’s eyes on him as he backs away, letting Mira handle whatever’s happened to the taller boy. She knows him way better than Kai does, after all… but he feels the same familiar ache creep up as he wishes that weren’t the case.

Reeve walks over to Kai’s side, then, followed by Vanessa. He leans over, whispering, “So what’s wrong with him? Why is he acting all…” The boy makes a face. “Mushy?”

“I-I think it was that wasp,” Kai says, remembering how Adam stilled the moment Kai touched him after he was stung. “Great. I knew there was something wrong with this forest. First there’s a giant snail, and now Adam’s been stung by a _lovebug!”_

As he says that last word, Reeve’s eyes lock on something behind him. “That’s… not good. And, uh, you might wanna turn–”

It’s too late, because something warm and solid engulfs Kai from behind. Muscular arms wrap around his shoulders, and a face buries itself in the back of Kai’s neck, causing Kai to squeak—actually _squeak_ —and redden instantly.

“–around.” Reeve finishes lamely. He shares a look with Vanessa, who just tilts her head.

“I dunno, I think it’s kind of cute,” She remarks, a slight, mischevious grin emerging on her expression as she watches the two of them. Kai opens his mouth to protest, flustered because Adam’s literally _pressed_ up against him, but before he can get the words out Mira appears beside them.

“I’m sorry! I tried to stop him,” Mira says, giving him a look of sympathy. The redhead huffs, trying to cross his arms and promptly forfeiting when he realizes he can’t even move.

“Stop him? He’s _hugging_ me!” Kai exclaims, trying to ignore how his heart rate fluctuates as he says it. When they played The Hollow for the first time, Kai distinctly remembers being jealous of how strong Adam’s arms were. Now, he thinks, at least Adam didn’t use them to pin Kai against him back then.

Mira sends him another apologetic look. “But hey, look what I found,” She continues, lifting her hand up and uncurling her fingers. The three of them lean in. In the center of her palm rests the wasp that stung Adam. It’s reddish brown, with a large stinger jutting out of its behind. Kai winces. That must’ve hurt. “It was on the ground. I guess they die after they sting people?”

“We should keep it,” Vanessa says, reaching over to poke it with her index finger. “Weirdy might know what it is.”

“That’s good and all. But in the meantime…” Reeve looks over at Kai and Adam, gesturing to them with his arms. “What do we do about _that?”_

“Why don’t we start by _getting him off me?”_ Kai grumbles. Even though Adam is careful not to squeeze him, it’s getting hard to breathe for _several_ reasons.

“Oh, sorry!” Mira says sheepishly. Hesitantly, she turns her gaze to Adam, adding, “Uh… Adam, how about you let go of Kai? You’ve been holding onto him for a while…”

But Adam only ignores her, tightening his arms around the redhead in response. He nuzzles his face into Kai’s neck, which kind of tickles, and Kai can’t help but let out a high pitched giggle against his will as he tries to squirm away. Then, something soft and wet presses against the nape of his neck–

Kai yelps, leaping away as Adam startles. “What was that? Did you just kiss me?”

The taller boy’s grin is unmistakable. “Yeah,” He admits without a second thought. “Can I do it again?”

“W-What?” Kai stammers, taken aback by Adam’s uncharacteristic bluntness. His face flames at the obvious satisfaction written in Adam’s expression, and he pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “No!”

“Kai,” Mira says quietly, leaning over his shoulder. “Be a little nicer, okay? He can’t help it. We’ll just have to wait till this—whatever this is, wears off.”

“But I–” Kai begins, stopping when she gives him a stern look. “Fine.”

“Uh, guys?” Vanessa interrupts, pointing to the sky. She shifts nervously. “It’s getting really dark. We were supposed to find Louie by now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mira concedes. “I guess that’s not going to happen now that we have a…” She glances at Adam, who’s still staring dreamily at Kai. “...situation.”

“So let’s head back, then,” Reeve says. He turns to Kai. “Light the way. Just don’t, uh, set anything on fire.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning on it,” Kai responds, a little defensively. But if Adam keeps throwing him off his guard, he just might. Concentrating, he lets his hand be engulfed in flames, lighting up the path back to the streets. “Let’s go.”

Ten seconds. That’s how long they make it before Adam’s brushing up against his side again.

“Kai,” He murmurs. “Can I hold your hand?”

Kai is way too tired for this. He decides not to answer, intent on getting out of this forest so that he can go home and promptly collapse into his bed. But he’s distracted once again when fingers lightly brush against his free hand. Focusing his eyes firmly on the tree directly in front of him, Kai tries his hardest to ignore it as the pads of Adam’s fingers roam along the underside of his wrist, the other boy’s gaze flitting to him nervously.

They travel up to Kai’s palm, pausing for just a second, and then Adam’s fingers lace through his. And though he doesn’t acknowledge it, Kai sees the soft smile that appears on Adam’s face in his peripheral vision.

Kai’s face flushes, and he’s grateful for the darkness because at least no one can see it.

“No no no, no way–”

They’re standing outside Kai’s house, and Mira runs a tired hand across her face. It’s late, and Reeve and Vanessa have already gone home. “Please, Kai, just for tonight? He can’t go home like this, anyway.”

“But he wants to sleep in my _bed!”_ Kai pretends his voice doesn’t squeak as he says it. There is absolutely no way he’s going to share a bed with Adam. Adam, who hasn’t been able to keep his hands off Kai for the past hour. He’s literally holding Kai’s hand right now—Kai’s face feels hot every time he thinks about it.

“So? Just… think of it as a sleepover,” Mira says, glancing at Adam. “If it really makes you uncomfortable, just tell him to sleep on the floor. And–” She looks down at her watch. “Shit. I really need to get home.”

She takes off running, turning to throw him a reassuring look and a thumbs up before sprinting away at full speed. Kai watches her go, his last shred of hope disappearing around the corner, and gulps.

“...has anyone ever told you how pretty your eyes are?” Adam says, once she’s gone. Kai sighs.

Wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vanessa is me. also sorry about the wait for this one! it took longer than i expected because i was kinda unhappy with it, and i still am a bit. next one will be up as soon as it's finished!


End file.
